Massachusetts teacher charged in child porn case

BOSTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Boston filed a child pornography charge Thursday against a Cambridge fifth grade teacher they said acknowledged secretly videotaping children changing clothes, including in a locker room.

The U.S. attorney’s office said Josh Wairi, 27, of Somerville was arrested Thursday and charged in a criminal complaint with transportation of child pornography. A postal inspector’s affidavit filed with the complaint does not say where the videotaping occurred.

The affidavit alleges Wairi received child pornography by email, and uploaded images and videos of children being sexually exploited that he transferred to others. It says authorities began investigating last July after getting tips from America Online and Dropbox Inc., and traced the online activity to Wairi.

Wairi is being held until a detention and probable cause hearing on Wednesday. It is not immediately known who is representing him. A telephone message was left Thursday for a relative of Wairi’s.

Cambridge School Superintendent Jeffrey Young said at a news conference Thursday he felt “shocked and betrayed,” and apologized to parents.

“Families put tremendous trust in sending their children to school every day,” he said. He said there is no specific evidence that anything happened at the Graham and Parks School where Wairi worked.

He said Wairi has been placed on administrative leave and the district is cooperating with law enforcement. Community meetings are planned at the school, which is on spring break through next week.